Every Year 4: Now and Forever
by batman.wolverine
Summary: [Series: Part 4] Last in the ‘Every Year’ series. This wraps everything up. [RoLo, OroroLogan, StormWolverine] [Series Completed]


**Every Year 4: Now and Forever**

**Summary:** Last in the 'Every Year' series. This wraps everything up.

* * *

Its that time again…but not of the year, but of life.

Its that time again…..for a _new_ life.

For a new life to come into this world and start a journey that all undertake.

A journey that he has been walking and now trudging along for so long…alone for so long.

So long that he almost forgot how it felt to be happy.

Just as he'd forgotten how it felt to hold, to cradle a new life in his arms.

----

PAST

----

"There," he sighed as he flopped down on the reinforced bed. "Happy now?"

"Yes," she grinned as she settled down next to him, and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"You had to have it yer way, didntcha?" He patted her cotton clad thigh, the haze clouding his mind momentarily clearing up as he remembered and smiled at the familiar setting.

Even now, after all these years, in his mind she was still the lively, chubby cheeked kid he used to ferry about on his shoulders, her unruly white mane a perfect copy of his midnight black one, her laughter and her cries of 'faster dada faster,' ringing in his ears, as did the honey sweet sound of another laugh….HER laughter.

Even now, with her hair still white, but now indicative of her seniority and not just of her genes, the wrinkles of age only adding to her regal demeanor, she was still her dada's little girl, just as, in her mind eyes, he was still the brave monster slayer who made a goddess fall in love and marry him.

"Yes," she nodded softly, pushing down the tears threatening to escape from their confines. It had been so hard to make him give up his cabin Canada and come here. "But its not my fault. That habit, I got it from my dad."

"Hmm," it was another of their father-daughter banter. "Must be a real fu…screw up." She smiled at his correcting himself, all for her ears, and the tears finally broke free.

"No," she wrapped her arm around his. "The best. He's the best…."

'….at what he does.' The unspoken words sounded loud in the room.

----

PRESENT

-----

"Dad….dad…." a gentle tap and tug at his shoulders roused him. "Daddy?"

"Hmm, yeah?" slowly his eyes opened to take in the gathering around him. "Wh…(coughs)….what happened?"

He watched as she turned her head and gestured over her shoulder.

He watched as a couple, one he knew was from his family, just couldn't or didn't recall which generation, stepped forward and towards him.

He watched as the small wrapped in white bundle came into view, his eyes widening as the newest addition of the Logan/Howlett clan was lowered to his level….into his arms.

--

_Earlier,_

"_Are you sure?" She asked just for confirmation, her heart already filled with happiness and love, swelling even more at the request that the couple standing in front of her had made to her._

"_Yes Grandma," her human granddaughter and her mutant husband nodded in confirmation. "I…." the younger woman looked up to her husband, his happy proud smile threatening to crack his face. "We are sure."_

_Lifting a hand to caress the midnight black hair of her second and youngest daughter, Kendall, the matriarch of the family, blessed the newborn parents._

"_I'll tell everyone," her voice was throaty with emotion. "We'll do it after…no, we'll do it now."_

_She knew that time was of the essence and she did not want to waste it at all._

---

Lying on his bed, with over two dozen people, adults and children surrounding him, he gently parted his hands to hold the newborn.

Also present was one old woman, not just as his caretaker, but as family. Not family by birth but by choice….by love. Her tiny bony nubs had grown longer, stronger years ago, yet her most cherished memory of her orphaned childhood was the time when Mr. Logan, with a barely audible _-snikt-_ turned her from the butt of other's jokes into someone they imitated…just because of the way she reminded them of him.

'Someone _cool_,' she smiled as she remembers the one word that meant so much then, her own age wizened cheeks wet with tears.

Everyone present watched as he took in every sight, smell and sound of the child and committed it to memory. They knew it because for more than half of them, they too had gone through the same _imprinting_ ceremony.

"Hey," his wrinkled lips curved up at the soft tuft of snow white hair on the child's head. "She's got yer hair."

"Just like mom," she knew he would notice it, just as he would notice the one thing that the child has that even she doesn't have of her mother's.

"…." And there, he noticed it as almost by magic, closed one instant, two large eyes opened up to him, their stare caring an intensity that was reminiscent of his, but a sort of eerie peace was all HERS'. Two large blue eyes….just like HER.

"Dad," he looked up at his daughter and then towards the couple she gestured towards. "They…the kids have something they want to ask you."

"Hn," his hands automatically spread around to protect the baby from moving and possibly falling away from his hold.

"Big-Grand pa," it was his pet name, the one that Kendall's grandchildren coined as a short option to Great Grand Pa. "We…we want _you_ to name her."

Not knowing what to say in such a situation, his limited personal skills rusted even further from decades of solitary living, he glanced at his own child, his Kendall in question…..and as if she were able to read his mind, the century plus Kendall just nodded. 'Yes'.

"Ororo," his eyes lit up as the name left his lips. "Name her Ororo."

----

FUTURE

----

She had been watching…waiting for him, waiting for so long.

She watched him cry…cry out for her.

She watched him go off in the wilderness….both trying to forget her and keep her just for himself.

She watched it all…..Just as she now watches him…watch him watch the child, the child that is her namesake

--

"You didn't have to do that," she draws up beside him.

"I didn't?" He smirks as he looks up at her. "It was destiny darlin'….it was meant to be."

"Hmm," she turns her gaze towards the child, the child who is now a teenager. "How fast they grow."

"Yeah," he nods, his arm going around her midsection to draw her closer, flush against him.

"You know what…" he starts seconds later, turning her until they are facing each other.

"What?" She lifts a hand to run her fingers through his lush _black_ mane, just like she loved to do then, just as she loves to do now.

"Her name might be Ororo, but…" he draws her still closer, their lips just caressing, soft against each other.

"But?" She whispers, her smile telling him that she already knows what he is about to say.

"But…" within a blink of an eye, he bends down and picks her up in his strong arms. "She ain't 'Ro. Know why?"

"Why?" She nuzzles at his neck as he starts up the pathway to their cabin, their cabin up high in the sky.

"'Cause there is only one 'Ro…" he firms his grip. "….and that 'Ro is _mine_."

"Yes, _my_ Logan…." Her proclamation is just as soft, just as meaningful. "…Yes _my_ Wolverine."

"For now and forever."

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**

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Note:** This is the last in what was essentially meant to be a oneshot. I would like to thank everyone who had read and reviewed the first three (and my other work) and hope they will do the same with this one.

Although, all previous three could be read independently, this one I wrote as a wrap up everything up, both for this series and for my work in the Marvel mainline/616 universe. As I am not reading any more mainline/616 Marvel titles, especially due to their hamheaded handling of Storm and tieing her up with a C-level character such as...well, no names, not here anyway.

Please Review!


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